Part 1 of McEwan’s What we can know is amazing. It follows its protagonist’s attempts to find a lost 2014 poem. Set in 2119 when much of Britain is submerged under water, it feels like a love letter to the quirks & pitfalls of historical researcher esp know that the bodleian is on top of Snowdonia

BREAKING: sources say NARA has forced out Dr. Todd Arrington, the federal director of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, after he declined to allow the Trump administration to remove a sword from the library for a gift to King Charles lastcampaign.substack.com/p/exclusive-...

This feedback from today’s training session for community archives in St Helens, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund made me giggle. I know exactly what she means!

Ah Covid, it has been such a long time since you called on this household. I’d be grateful if you kept away from me for a while please????

I’d just like to point out to the politicians that the best volunteers are those that want to be there, not those who are forced to ‘volunteer’. They are the ones charities need and want. And don’t forget that it takes time and money to manage volunteers, something charities don’t have.

Courts and prison staff are facing criminal charges after allegedly illegally accessing case files relating to the Nottingham triple killing in 2023

From @chrismpaton.bsky.social Ancestry and the NRS - when the corporate genealogy world turns ugly. Extremely alarming legal saga involving US genealogy company Ancestry and National Records of Scotland re core Scottish genealogy and family history records. scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2025/09/ance...

Lovely to attend the launch of the exhibition celebrating 50 years of the Whitechapel Centre yday funded by Heritage Fund. I’ve enjoyed co-creating it with service users. I couldn’t help but notice this celebration of the work to end homelessness was juxtaposed with adverts for luxury apartments.

This year marks 175 years since the Public Libraries Act. We want to create an archive for the next 175 years. Between 6 and 12 October, we want you to photograph what your #Library service looks like today. Find out more: www.librariesconnected.org.uk/projects/lib...

I cannot stress how important it is that the issue of police records is dealt with and not brushed under the carpet as it has been for decades. The fact that they aren't Public Records is an accident of history, but the impact of this lack of regulatory control is immense.

Here we go again? #genealogy www.reuters.com/business/exc...

A copy of the top secret plan for the liberation of the Channel Islands at the end of World War Two has sold at auction for more than three times its expected price. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

It’s 10 degrees colder on this mornings dog walk that it was on Friday. Who decided it was autumn and where was my vote?

Really sad to hear of the death of John Stapleton. He trained a group of us Clore fellows in being interviewed on camera and radio. I really valued him sharing his skills and knowledge. A real loss. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Super early #ConfinedCocktails at Day Fever afternoon club night! Have a good one everyone.

My football season started yesterday with a win. Looking forward to more European games under the floodlights.

Great start to the day. Stumbled on a really quite detailed description of murder in an archive catalogue. Honestly, archivist, what were you thinking???

“We pay tribute to the families, whose unwavering determination and dignity in the face of unimaginable loss and injustice have inspired a movement that will protect others. Their courage and selflessness will not only change the law—it will change the lives of future generations."

In 1828, Covent Garden's 'select vestry' took an annual trip to look at the orphans put out to nurse at Norwood; their expenses claim for food & drink caused uproar and led to opening up of franchise for parish voting; not least because they decided to dine at a nice tavern in Greenwich

Scotland says nae to Ancestry. #genealogy www.independent.ie/business/anc...

"Gunpowder archaeology" is not a phrase I want to hear. I imagine the archaeologists amongst you, even less so. (Fascinating though. I did NOT have the book with a big red gem either. Probably too old. Pah.)

News | Ian Murray appointed culture minister in government reshuffle – MP for Edinburgh South succeeds Chris Bryant at DCMS

Dog owners please be so careful who you board your dog with. Shadow, one of the dogs in this case was my friends dog. I can’t tell you how this has destroyed them. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

August 2021 I’m asked to do a few days work scoping out a project to review an archives service & produce a development project plan. September 2025 -I’ve just run the reflection session marking the substantive end of the project. Wow such a lot achieved by the team. Not to mention cake eaten.

Liverpool Council branded a 'national embarrassment' over Freedom of Information failings, as local authority handed enforcement notice www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpo...

A little Prosecco from a friend to celebrate the formal confirmation this week of my MSc in Genealogy etc. with distinction. Remind me never to do that again won’t you? #ConfinedCocktails

Will you be joining us in Edinburgh? Our next Collections at Risk Study Day takes place this autumn, tying in with #NSHD2025. 🗓️ Fri 26 Sept 2025: 10AM to 3:30PM 📍 Heart of Midlothian Football Club ...

Are you researching ancestors who lived in what's now Ukraine? There may be records scanned and online, just waiting for you to find them. Here's info abt a new site that may help you locate scanned and online records: #ancestry #genealogy #familyhistory larasgenealogy.blogspot.com/2025/09/ukra...

Looks like you all need some cute dog pictures. Here’s Lilly.

I once parked in Levy’s parking space at the training ground to unload archives boxes. Never again…

Have you ever wanted to do historical research, but not been sure how to go about it? Join our heritage researchers @rach-anderson.bsky.social and @petermitchellnhsn.bsky.social in Oct for a specially curated course on finding your way through the archival maze: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-introdu...

How would modern Londoners react to 80% of their city burning down in a firestorm today? How would they communicate in the chaos their confusion, suspicion and grief?

Here's another illustration from the Drayton Parslow Parish Register, 1785. This one is a little sadder than the baptism we shared a few weeks back! Six mourners walk behind the coffin bearers, all draped in black and led by a priest who is wandering towards the margin.

There are some great, short videos on how to use Access to Memory (AtoM), and archival management system. Check them out! I made some of these along with other colleagues.\ #archives #library 📚 www.youtube.com/@AtoMNUG/vid...

Honestly, sometimes I do wonder how I stop myself writing: listen just get your s**t together and look after your important stuff property. Just do it. It’s your responsibility to do that as well as the fun stuff of sharing your heritage.

I mean, what are Sundays for if it isn’t for scanning the barcodes on your books and getting your own library catalogue set up?

I refuse to believe that a time capsule buried in 1991 is old enough to be opened.

Found this video of me introducing the archives of the NHSN on our YouTube channel - if you can ignore my face and delivery, it's a decent introduction to some of what's cool in our collections: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnon...

Family of the night: Branwhite Spurgin and his brothers Charles Stribling Spurgin and my favourite, Joseph Cakebread Spurgin. Luckily the other 5 children seemed to get more normal names.

Wedding has delayed #confinedcocktails somewhat. Catching up now with a strawberry field

My favourite part of this house history is not tracing it back to the 1780s, or identifying the interesting backgrounds of the residents. No, it’s the fact that in 1915 they found a green and brown egg in a tree in the orchard and this was reported in the local paper. #slownewsday

Ooh one of my favourite parish registers!

Starting a one woman campaign for footballers to get taught how to carry a trophy once they are off the field. And for the issue of gloves to the winners. Salah is ruining my nerves here.

Cheshire Archives in the news www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Sporting heritage collections can face many threats, but the first step in protecting them is knowing what those threats are. The main collection care risks to any heritage collection can be simply defined and structured around the ten Agents of Deterioration, which are:

Great to see Archives+ sharing the local connections at the Titanic exhibition in Manchester today.

We're currently recruiting an Apprentice Archivist in my brigade at IWM. It's a great role that will work across our Documents collection, a treasure trove of stories and secrets. If you're interested in forging a career as an archivist, this could be for you: share.google/3s2r85OOjAdb...

I swear that archives haunt me, even on the weekends- Edge Hill university

Liverpool Football Club kick off the Premiership season tonight and I’m writing my report for the club. Seems to sum up my club that one of our most famous fans was called Dr Fun. Looking forward to the fun starting again!